The Challenge
by beargirl1393
Summary: Legolas and Gimli challenge each other to see who can write the best. Written for Gigolas Week 2015- Complete


_This is for day 3 of Gigolas week, the languages and writing day._

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It started with bickering. That, in itself, wasn't so surprising, as Legolas and Gimli have always bickered. Even after they became closer, the bickering didn't stop. It wasn't true fighting (which both hated and usually led to stony silences until one or both of them would apologize and they would settle whatever problem they'd had), nor was it anything like the truly hurtful barbs they had exchanged at the beginning of their acquaintance. Instead, they were usually teasing squabbles, including but not limited to: Gimli's dislike of horses, Legolas' skill (or lack thereof) at recreating dwarven braids, and their continual contests to see who was the better warrior.

This time, however, the squabble was about writing. Gimli was writing a list of things he would need to pick up before he could craft a present for Legolas for Yule (not that the elf was aware of the significance of the list) and as it was for his use, he wrote in a rather messy shorthand, in Common simply so that he needn't worry about the wrong people attempting to read the runes when he was out. Legolas saw the barely legible scrawl and proceeded to tease his beloved for the rest of the day and most of the next.

That would have been the end of it, if Legolas hadn't written an equally messy note that Gimli saw. Legolas' note was in Sindarin, a rough draft of his latest letter to his father. Gimli didn't care for the content of the letter (he was starting to learn elf languages for Legolas, slowly but surely, and the elf was doing the same for dwarven languages), but he saw a chance to get back at Legolas for teasing him about his messy list and thus proceeded to taunt his beloved for the rest of the day and the next, as well as part of the day after simply because Legolas had started up about his own messy note again.

They went back and forth, Legolas saying that Gimli's was worse and utterly illegible because of the shorthand while Gimli argued that Legolas' was worse, and it was for family too which was another point in Gimli's favor. In those sort of squabbles, they could go back and forth for an Age, for there wasn't any true winner as they had both been truly abominable notes and both knew that, while they were also stubborn enough to never admit that.

It could have gone on indefinitely, one of the little squabbles that they would have at varying points in time, usually while doing some boring task together, if it weren't for their friends. While visiting Aragorn, the man became tired of hearing both of them going on about notes that had been written and likely destroyed by now, as Gimli wouldn't have had any use for the list once he'd bought his supplies and Legolas would have discarded his own messy note once he'd written his father a proper letter, and so he set them a challenge.

Both Legolas and Gimli would be given a writing challenge. It would be administered by him, timed, and they would both have to write the same thing. He would give them two separate passages to copy. The first would be written in their native language, while the second would be in Common. Aragorn, of course, hadn't been taught the dwarves' secret language, but Gimli trusted him enough to know that the Man wouldn't abuse the privilege and he'd be sure to burn the parchment once he'd been declared the winner. He thought it was only fair to give them the opportunity to write in their own language as well as Common, as mastering more than one language took time and effort and thus it was possible that their Common wouldn't be as neat as their own language would be.

It was set for the next day, when Aragorn had a break in his meetings. Their hobbit friends, visiting for a time, gathered eagerly in the room where the contest would take place, and Frodo even agreed to help Aragorn and Arwen, so that there was less chance of a tie taking place. Everyone knew that the two were too competitive to accept a tie.

Legolas and Gimli were both given the same type of parchment and writing utensils, while Arwen set out the first passage they would be copying, an excerpt from a novel she had read recently. It was the first book at hand when Aragorn asked for her assistance, and as neither Gimli nor Legolas had ever read it, it was deemed suitable. She held the hourglass in her hands while she waited for the two to make themselves comfortable, turning it over when they were both ready and commencing the first part of the challenge.

Both took their time, writing neatly and yet still trying to manage to write as quickly as they dared. Neither wanted to be disqualified for not finishing the passage before the time ran out, after all, it would be a boring end to a rather interesting challenge. Neither needed to have worried, however, as Aragorn had ensured that they would both have enough time to write, and they both finished within minutes of each other, Legolas first with Gimli not far behind. The three judges picked up the parchments once they had dried, and began comparing. Knowledge of the words was unimportant, in this it was more about the style. Both had written elegantly, and Frodo had managed to dig up an old book of dwarven tavern songs to compare Gimli's writing to. He refused to say where he had found it, but it proved useful.

Both Legolas and Gimli were given a few minutes to have something to drink and a snack, stretching their hands to prevent cramps before resettling at the table. The passage was, again, from a book that neither of them had read, and when both were ready Arwen turned over the hourglass and let them begin.

In the end, it did come down to a tie, with Legolas winning the first half and Gimli winning the second, but they could be content with that. Of course, Gimli teased Legolas that he'd only won the first portion because none of the judges could read dwarvish runes, while Legolas taunted him about losing in the first portion, which was writing in their native languages. But bickering was part of life for them, almost like a third language for them, and soon enough the challenge was just a memory. A pleasant one, of course, to join many others in their life together.


End file.
